A clever fish learned how to work smarter, not harder - riding on a sea turtle's head to safely explore the ocean floor.

The marine creature attached itself to the back of the shelled animal as it searched for food among the corals off the coast of Shark Bay Island in Surat Thani province, Thailand, on June 3.

Footage shows the fish getting a free ride on the turtle's head while free divers swam nearby. It joined the sea turtle for almost a minute before leaving.

Sitthan Kittworrawanitch said: 'I'm a freediving instructor, and we had an activity in the area when we saw the fish and the turtle. It was amazing to see them up close.'

Some fish species use larger marine animals like turtles as transportation, allowing them to travel longer distances while expending less energy.